Today's Inside Story

Last week I read an article (and laughed) which said that the Washington Post had failed to pay some very small fee ($35 annual registration fee for its washpost.com Internet Address) and thus their e-mail system shut down. Imagine a news organization having communication trouble and getting cut off from potential sources. I could not help but snicker.

I am not laughing today. Here is the inside story that I promised: our voice mail at Fox's DC Bureau is "down." It has been "broken" since yesterday. We were told today that it may work by tomorrow - Saturday. Thus I sit at my desk distracted by the red light on my phone wondering who has called me and left messages. I can't access the voice mail so I can only hope it was not important.

Last night Shep Smith and Linda Vester were in town. Our Managing Editor - Brit Hume - was given the Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism (search). Shep, Linda and many of the rest of us went to the dinner to honor Brit. (You may have noticed that On the Record was not "live" last night -- we taped a few hours early so that I could go to the dinner. We don't do that often.)

I was surprised to see Carl Cameron at our table. For months he has been "on the road" chasing the political news and I wondered if we would ever see him again in person. I don't think he ever sleeps. I asked if he had slept and he bragged about having had 3 straight hours the night before.

I am getting unbelievable reaction to the daily polls. We are getting well over 100,000 hits a day on it. From time to time some viewers don't like the wording or the choices (and e-mail me their dissatisfaction), but I am just getting started at writing them. Give me some slack. I am new at this poll writing. By the way, if you have an idea for a poll, e-mail it to me. I might use it.